There are known in the prior art merchandising machines which are adapted to deliver drinks in response to the deposit of money in the machine. In operation thereof, when a sum in coins aggregating the purchase price of a drink has been inserted in the machine and the appropriate selecting mechanism actuated, a cup supply mechanism delivers a cup to a location at which it is accessible to a customer and the machine delivers the drink to the cup. One form of such a cup delivery mechanism known as a cup drop ring includes a plurality of cams arranged in a circle with surfaces thereof adapted to support a column of cups by engagement with the peripheral bead of the lowermost cup. When a cup is to be dispensed the cams are rotated in unison to remove the support from under the lowermost cup while at the same time supporting those cups above the lowermost to permit the lowermost cup to drop to the delivery location.
One of the most common mechanisms for rotating the cams of the cup drop ring is a common ring gear which engages respective pinions on the cam shafts. While this arrangement effectively rotates the cams to deliver cups one at a time, it makes no provision for changing cup size. It is desirable that a cup drop mechanism be adjustable to accommodate cups of different size.
Atwood et al Pat. No. 3,071,292, discloses a cup drop mechanism which is adjustable to accommodate cups of different sizes. More specifically, the cam shafts are slidable along slots inwardly and outwardly for different cup sizes. While the Atwood et al mechanism is adjustable for cup size, it incorporates a number of disadvantages. The actuating linkage is complicated. There is excessive difference in angular velocity of the cams for cups of different sizes. The amount of angular displacement of the cams is relatively small for cups of certain size, being only about 45.degree. . Other arrangements for changing cup size are shown in Carew Pat. No. 2,946,481 and Kinney Pat. No. 3,311, 260. The arrangements shown in these patents, however, require changing of parts of the cup drop mechanism in order to accommodate cups of different sizes.